Deceember 4, 2007

Heh, oops.

We've got snow. Our first real storm came Sunday night, on and off Monday. About 5, maybe 6 inches total. Snowtires got put on yesterday, need to attend to that a little earlier next year. Same with wheel chains on the tractor.

This fall - new air, oil filters on tractor, bought a spark plug, but didn't change it. Battery doesn't want to hold a charge, I'll keep an eye out for a new one. Meanwhile, jumpstarting off the van works fine.

September 20, 2007

The weather is getting cooler - more like autumn. Few leaves changing yet.

I've started filling the planting bed in front of the garage. I'll use it for a nursery for now - 2 Burning Bushes and the "pink" Japanese Iris. (It's purple, oops) I've got tulips and hyacinths from Costco, plus ordered some crocus and Glory of the Snow from the band fundraiser.

I've topseeded the backfilled area on the other side of the walk, added some accelerator to speed up germination. So far, it doesn't seem to be doing much.

Laura Krahn is bringing home a DR Chipper/Shredder this weekend - one of the perks of working there - and we're going to tackle some of the piles of brush. Scott's only interested in taking down new stuff, I really want to get through a bunch of the old.

Looks as though the purchase of Matt's property is going to go ahead. Planning Commission has passed it on to Development Review, and a public meeting is scheduled for October 1. We'll close whenever it is Matt can close on the rest of the property, it'll make everything easier for him, and there's no reason we can't wait.

September 7, 2007

The patio, save a few fill in stones, is done. Tomorrow it will rain, but today was hot and miserable. 95º, humid. At least there was a breeze.

September 2, 2007

The infernal trenching, at least across the patio, is complete. We started backfilling and gravelling yesterday. 2 pallets and a circle kit of Paventia Ancient Rome pavers and 2 yards of fines are being delivered this week.

Today is clear and (so far) crisp. 43º right now, heading for high 70s. Lovely.

Tomatoes are slowing down. Beans need picking, some of the pods are too old and drying on the plants. Corn was a disappointment, but I didn't expect much. The patio hasn't interfered with the pumpkins, they are starting to turn orange. at least 5 of them. Yeah!

One of the burning bushes dried out and appears dead. I'll cut it back, plant it somewhere out of the way, and see if it returns in the spring. No expectations, but it doesn't hurt to try.

August 21, 2007

The grading is DONE! Lovely cool weather continues, thank GOD! We got the rest of the grading done today, tomorrow some trench digging, then the chipped stone can go in and I'll order the dust and bricks. Ack!

Forecast is for dry weather through Thursday, chance of rain Friday and Saturday.

The flower beds are neglected. I haven't even peeked up front lately, beyond driving by and seeing everything sad and wilty. I should move the sprinkler up there, just to open up the soil for the rain we might get on the weekend.

Pumpkins are growing while you watch - big and fat. i hope the trenching doesn't bother them too much - if so, we may be carving green ones this year. Beans are still going great guns, tomatoes too. Have picked some jalapenos, no green peppers to speak of. Something's eating them, I think. I pulled out all the carrots, such as they were. Next year I won't bother. Once the patio's in, I'm going to seed more lettuce and spinach. The bed is empty, there's no reason not to.

August 20, 2007

It was cool! this morning -- 40º when I got up. The sun's shining, and no rain in the near forecast.

The patio project continues.
Aug 5 - scribed line and removed sod
ponder, ponder
Aug 14, 15 - removed existing base stone (1" mixed)
Aug 17 - ordered 2 yards top soil, 2 yards 3/4" clean for delivery Monday
Aug 18, 19 grading. Ugh, this is heavy, grunt work. Bought new yard cart, blew out the bottom of the old one hauling rocks.

We've easily removed 20 wheelbarrows of big rocks, what kind of backfill is that?!

August 1, 2007

Ah, August. Back to more temperate days, cooler nights. NOT! 95º today, 95º tomorrow. It's barely going to get down to 70 overnight. Ugh. Scattered showers in the forecast for tomorrow night, but that means they'll all be scattered somewhere else.

Picked a handful of raspberries today. There's more on there but I was too lazy to pull off the nets. I'll get 'em tomorrow. The birds have been busy on the ones not covered, though. buggers. There are more green beans, too. And the corn is tasselling. Will we maybe get a cob or two?

July 28, 2007

Thunderstorms in the forecast. Thursday and Friday were beastly humid and hot - 95º. Today is cooler, with a slight breeze. It rained a tiny bit earlier - not enough to prevent Scott from getting the grass cut.

There are Jalapenos on the plants! And raspberries are starting to ripen. The cluster tomatoes are starting to colour, and the cherry tomatoes too. I've had 3 so far. A couple of the yellow pear tomatoes too. I'm interested to taste them. There will be more beans for dinner tomorrow. Next weekend I think I'll get a new planting of spinach in. It might still be too hot, but if I keep the soil moist, it should be fine.

There's blight on some of the tomato leaves. Joe has it worse. I've pulled off the affected leaves, and so far the fruit looks fine. Discovered one small pumpkin, I haven't checked for more. Once there are three, I'll pull off the rest of the blossoms to conserve energy.

July 23, 2007

Humidity is increasing, but still bearable. High 70s today, no rain.

The hosta bed and the vegetables are cleaned. We had the first meal of green beans last night. I've moved everything potted to the side of the garage - I have a pot ghetto, but at least it's easy to water everything. I noticed a small pumpkin on one of the plants. They need weeding, in a big way, but the vomit smell turns me right off. Tomatoes are loaded, Sweet Millions are coming on shortly, everything else is still green.

Bought an interesting Korean lilac on Sunday. 1st Season closed for the year, so everything was marked to go. $4 I think, and it'll grow 10' tall. I'm going to go for a tree form - it's already well on its way, all by itself. No evergreens (I'm thinking either arborvitae or some variety of compact spruce) no holly either. Boo.

July 21, 2007

80º lowish humidity, few bugs, warm lovely sunshine.

I got the veggies weeded, pulled some rhubarb for the freezer, ate the very first cherry tomato of the season, and discovered I have beans ready! Yeah! The onions are doing poorly, they got so over run with weeds they're limp and gangly in the leaves. They're cleaned up and hilled, maybe they'll survive.

Tomorrow promises similar weather. Perhaps I'll get the hosta bed done. Scott cut the grass. The book with his new zero turn mower suggest cutting every 4 days. Right.

July 17, 2007

67º right now, headed for low 80s again. The humidity is low enough that it's very pleasant to be outside. Except for the damn mosquitoes and deerflies.

There is some chance of rain tonight so I will continue with the weeding. If I can get the hosta bed all done, I'll sprinkle on some fertilizer to get things growing. The things that are SUPPOSED to be there.

July 16, 2007

Another gorgeous day - 83º. The play structure is finished. Grass cut, 1/2 of the Hosta bed weeded and watered thoroughly.

The box up by the mailbox is doing great. Petunias are a pain to deadhead, but they look good. Weeded the cold box and the strawberries. Noticed a few blossoms on some of the everbearing plants, moved the frame back over to keep off the birds.

Roses need pruning and fertilizing, they've stopped blooming.

July 15, 2007

Gorgeous weather - sunny, 80. Scattered showers.

The weeding remains undone. Tomorrow? Grass needs cutting again. Lots of blossoms in the pumpkins, TONS of tomatoes on the plants. The tomatoes are actually taller than the corn - almost to my shoulder. Baby beans on the original plants, the Blue Lakes are catching up quick. Peas in pots were disappointing, but I don't see any way around it - I love having the garden available for everything.

Bee Balm is blooming. stella d'oros, and that transplanted spirea too. Japanese Beetles have again done a number on the roses. I need to powder and fertilize.

The play structure will be done tomorrow. Pictures on the other blog.

July 11, 2007

Humid, 90 again today. Has been like this since Sunday. Thunderstorms most evenings, but for us, the rain is intense, but infrequent. A cold front is moving in, clear and 80 tomorrow. Whew!

Blooms in the original beans, the Blue Lake are catching up fast.

Japanese beetles have taken over Joe's raspberries and Anne's Bee Balm. They don't appear to be making it any further down the road, not in any substantial numbers.

The garden is crying for a serious weeding. With the cooler temps, I'll try to get to it this weekend.

The Rainbow play system was delivered Sunday, just in time for the rain. Scott has it partly up, Daniel is trying to be patient. It should alos be done this weekend. I think the front deck might get pushed back another year. Booo :o(

July 1, 2007

Clear skies, so far. We had some rain last night, everything looks much happier for it. High of only 65?? today, what a difference a week makes.

First casualty in the bird netting. A red squirrel got tangled up trying to escape, it was dead when Scott found it.

Blue Lake beans have not let me down - even late planted, year old, damp package, left in the garage over the winter seeds came up close to 100%. Red leaf lettuce continues strong, Boston is fading, green leaf still has some life. Lots of blossoms on the raspberries. I canhang bird net from the garage gutter but that won't stop the Japanese beetles. I've seen them already in the hanging baskets, with a few on the shrub roses.

Mark's "pink" iris turns out to be purple. An unusual bloom, but not pink. He's offered to trade it out, but I'll keep it.

The spirea seems to be suffering the worst from lack of water. It's been moved so many times I'm sure the roots are tentative about going too deep. I'll start emptying my water bottle on it.

June 28, 2007

Woo, been a whole week!

Cooler today, less humidity. 85º breezy.
Yesterday there were some scattered wind and rain storms, nothing here but some thunder. Driving in Charlotte, we could hardly see the road.

Cut the grass today, even the parched stuff in the front of the house. New beans are starting to come up. Spinach is done, boston lettuce on it's way out too. The frame Scott built is doing a perfect job at keeping the birds off the strawberries. Missed most of them, though. Corn is almost to my knees, despite the dry hot weather. tomatoes on the two cherry varieties, flowers in the others.

Stella D'oro is just starting, daylilies have buds, bee balm is starting to open. 7 Sisters is almost finished. Shrub roses continue to bloom, though less than they were. Need to pick up some more rosetone. That stuff is magic.

FAR less mosquitoes this year. Must be the creek's dried up. We've had no real rain in a few weeks, I've had to put the sprinkler on the gardens.

June 21, 2007

Happy Solstice! 2:06 pm, it is now officially summer. 80º sunny/cloudy. light rain right now, thunderstorms possible later.

I weeded the beans - very poor germination and much of what did come up is leafless. Cutworms? I don't think so, the stems are fine. I suspect snails or perhaps birds. I found some of last year's Blue Lake seeds and filled in the spaces just as the rain started. Maybe they'll grow, maybe they won't. Whatever.

Onions still need weeding. Corn up about a foot.

June 20, 2007

Humid and thunderstorms yesterday, cooler today, breezy 80º

There are tiny tomatoes and snow peas! The birds have taken all the strawberries, we got one. I'm trying to work up a plan for a row cover using PVC and some black mesh I have in the garage. I'll build it and cover the beans, too. Stupid birds.

June 10, 2007

Hazy, buggy, 8oº very slight breeze

Cut all the grass today. Picked up a new (clearance!) mower at Sears today, so even the edges got done. Need to do the back area behind the trees, Matt skipped it this time, probably because of the line and marker Scott left.

Mulched the strawberries, need to get out and pick the ready ones. Rhubarb too. Raspberries are happy now, with the dead trimmed out. Beans are coming up, corn's about 3". Peppers and tomatoes seem slow, though one tomato already has flowers. Onions are coming, 3rd sowing of carrots is up. Spinach starting to bolt, I need to get out and cut more.

All 3 columbines are blooming, buds in the Lady's Mantle. Polemonium (Jacob's Ladder) continues to bloom, I'll cut it back when it's done. Daff foliage is yellowing, time to cut that too.

Got the hammock up. What took so long?

June 8, 2007

Warm and humid 85º.

The irises continue, gloriously. I'm looking for a pink one, for Alice Maurer. I suspect one will come home to live with me, too, if I ever find one. I suspect I will have no peony flowers this year - must dose everything with bone meal in the fall.

The pine pollen is outrageous. The grass needs cutting, but I might need a mask to do it.

June 7, 2007

Continued cool - 72º but no rain today, or in the immediate forecast.

I found some Miracle Gro in the garage - I'm going to start adding it to the watering can, get this show on the road!

June 6, 2007

Overcast, cool - 60º no more rain though it looked threatening once or twice

Corn's up! Beans coming. New growth on the onions. Pink strawberries!

Got the raspberries pruned yesterday - definetly a borer of some sort in the old prunes. Shoot. Maybe n the fall I'll cut everything to the ground and start fresh.

June 4, 2007

Raining much of yesterday, all of today. Cool, low 60s

Had a huge salad out of the garden today. Well, the lettuce and spinach were, anyway.

June 1, 2007

Rain threat continues to be just that. 80ish degrees, very humid. No rain.

I realized there was room for one more sowing of carrots, so I did. Maybe I'll hold the rest of the seeds and try a fall crop in September. With the glass, I should be able to grow until Christmas.

May 31, 2007

Hazy, humid, threatening rain, but nothing to show for it.

Got some onions in, finally. Found them at the hardware store in Bristol of all places. 1 row red, 1 row white, 1 row yellow. Added some dianthus to fill the rest, and the garden is done. Now we just need rain.

May 29th, 2007

Blue skies, 90º, life is grand

The vegetables are in. 3 rows of Butter and Sugar corn, 6 tomatoes (with accompanying marigolds), 6 California bell peppers, 2 jalapenos, 4 rows of green beans. they aren't Blue Lake, can't remember the name just now. Still need onions (red, yellow, and white) and then I'll end with some ranunculus or something pretty.

The strawberries are LOADED! I've been turning on the sprinkler to keep the seeds moist, with the added benefit that the strawberries are getting fat and juicy. Showers tomorrow night so I can save the hose. Probably ought to cut the grass.

Columbine are blooming, lilacs, lily of the valley, and iris too. Pretty! Wish I had time to just sit and enjoy them. Oh, first hatch of mosquitoes this past week, as well. Bah.

May 27, 2007

Cooler, drizzle 60º the ground, and my new plants, are loving this.

Bought a tiller today. That should help get that veggie bed in. Tomorrow? Need to prune back the raspberries. Joe said he got a boring maggot in his a few years ago, same symptoms as mine. We'll still get the second crop, but probably too late for the early one.

May 26, 2007

Sunny, 80º little breeze. Lovely day.

Went to 1st Season. Picked up 2 one gallon pots - Euonymus Alatus (compacta) for (at last) the front of the house. I'm going to keep an eye out for some Hinoki Cypress, too, and maybe some variegated dogwood. Got some annuals too - petunias mostly, for a flower box (by the mail) and a hanging basket. Got tomatoes (6 varieties), some bell peppers, a red head lettuce for Tori, and a new Gaillardia for the front bed.

No further progress in the veggie bed. We're due rain tomorrow, if I get a tiller before it starts, maybe I can get the plants in on Monday.

May 25, 2007

Today promises to be hotter than yesterday 90º, not too humid, still no mosquitoes!

Ortho Max'd around the foundation yesterday - love my new power sprayer! A lot of flying ants near the front hall window - I think I was just in time to prevent an attempted incursion.

Picked up some cow manure for the vegetable bed. There's thunderstorms forecast for Sunday so I want to get that bed in by Saturday. There's a lot of work there, but Saturday promises to be cooler, so we'll see what we can do. Bought a planter to stick out on the mailbox post too. I've wanted to do this for several years, this year it will happen.

Ajuga is going great guns - very purple up front.

May 23, 2007

Sunny, 75º

Got all the grass cut, killed the push mower. One of the wheels fell off, again, and I think its time has come. Time for a new one.

I pulled the wood away from the edges of the nursery bed in prep for tilling. There are some big weeds in that I'd rather not plow under, maybe I'll RoundUp and then till on the weekend. I'd intended to run the mower over everything. So much for that idea. I need to pick up seeds - corn maybe, green beans. I'll get some onion sets too. I dunno what else. Anything viney would have to go on a trellis, small melons maybe?

Peas are up. Columbines have buds, no flowers yet. Lilacs are blooming everywhere but here. They're on there, just not open. And the raspberries need some serious pruning - there's a lot of old wood in there that's not leafing out.

May 21, 2007

Sunny, 65º. Rain last night, drizzle this morning, clear by 10:00

The daffodil bed is done! I spent 3 1/2 hours yesterday and another 1/2 hour today pulling weeds and edging. I moved the hostas and astilbes from the nursery bed and see only one hole that could stand another astilbe. I think I'll pick up a big one when I get to First Season for tomato plants.

May 19, 2007

Drizzly and cool. 55º I'm not sure when the rest of the grass is going to be dry enough to cut. Tomorrow? I doubt it.

Planted a second sowing of Danvers 126 and moved the glass back over that bed to keep the heat in. 2 hills of Connecticut Field pumpkins for jack-o-lanterns. Mature in 100 days, which puts us at the beginning of September - a little early but not a problem. They're pumpkins, they'll keep.

May 18, 2007

Overcast, 60º

Got the grass along the lane cut (finally!) and decided I might not wait for Laura to rent a rototiller, I might just turn the garden over by hand.

Nothing new up, the peas are swelling though - one of then popped to the surface so I shoved it back down.

Rain forecast for tomorrow night, we'll get the rest of the grass done, perhaps some pumpkins planted. Maybe green beans, too. I need to get the daff bed done and those hostas and astilbes moved. The current residents are already up so I know what needs to go where.

Found the blue eyed grass coming up again by the daylilies. Yes, it's a weed, but the flowers are so pretty. Maybe I'll move it to the perennial bed.

May 17, 2007

Overcast and cool 50º. It alternated drizzle and rain yesterday, also cool, and everything looking luscious and green.

The strawberries are blooming, as is the flowering almond. I should get a picture to compare the height with last year. The year before that, it was a twig. The raspberries are leafing out very slowly. Do they always?

May 15, 2007

It's raining! low 70s today, scattered showers.

May 13, 2007

Happy Mothers Day to me! What a perfect day - 65º sunny, breezy.

I got the bed along the front of the house cleared of all the dandelions and creeping charlie. I've said in the past I can grow just about anything outside, but I specialize in rocks and thistles. Rock season is well underway and I had a bumper crop today. Easily 50 pounds of rocks, perhaps closer to 75 lbs. I've started a small retaining wall at the NE end of the bed to maybe get a little closer to level. Eventually.

May 12, 2007

Sunny, breezy 65º. We had a few showers the other night, nothing since.

The re-seeded grass up front is starting to come up. Carrots finally up (amazing what some water will do.) I'll plant a second crop tomorrow. Astilbe and hostas in daffodil bed are both showing lots of new growth. I'll move the new ones from the nursery bed this week, perhaps. Planted peas - 10 regular (Wando), 5 Sugar Snap.

I got the entire corner perennial bed done. Needs mulch, but a full wheelbarrow later, the weeding and pruning are done. There was a weird onion thing growing in front of the Seven Sisters and and clematis. I pulled it - strong chive smell, but roots, not bulbs. Weird. The Stonecrop is getting a little rowdy so I pulled handfuls and threw them over under the trees along the lane. Maybe they'll take hold and keep the dandelions at bay. Lots of dieback and rabbit damage on the shrub roses. It's all pruned out but they look pitiful. The Evening Primrose I got from Jackie looks happy and the daylilies are filling in nicely. Masses of iris. Flowering Almond is starting to bloom - I should take some pictures tomorrow. To finish the effect, I mowed that area of the lawn.

May 10, 2007

Sunny, 80º, low humidity (so far)
Grass all got cut Monday except the steepest of the hill along the lane. I'll get that with the push mower tomorrow, perhaps.

Went for a walk at 6:00 this morning. Flower stalks, nowhere near open, but there in the vulgaris lilac. Plenty of leaves on Miss Canada and the highbush cran. The flowering almond is loaded with buds, about twice the size of last year. Roses need serious pruning, lots of winter die off.

I noticed a flash of pink as I walked by the front bed. What the...? When did I plant this? A garden journal, for me, is most definitely a good idea.

Lettuces, spinach all up despite Daniel Bulldozer's best efforts. A few carrots, too. Perhaps a second planting this weekend. Still need to do peas.

Laura and I will split the rental of a rototiller, perhaps next weekend. Ahhh, it's really spring.

Tic, tic, tick!

Sunshine, 65º

Ugh. I got nabbed by a tick. I think it must have been on (in?) my sweatshirt, and when I slipped it on this morning, it climbed under my shirt and took hold in the middle of my lower back. That, unfortunately, is as close to nature as I got today.

The trouts are blooming, both lettuces are up, a few signs of life from the spinach, nothing from thew carrots yet. Daffs all opened at once this year.

May 5, 2007

Green Up Day

Clear blue skies, 60º. Windy (but not windy enough for Simon to get his kite to stay airborn)

Put the mower deck on the tractor, took off the plow. The deck needed leveling, but cuts like a dream. I only mowed enough to make sure it works, Scott can do the rest tomorrow.

Moved the sprinkler over to the new topsoil. We've had no rain since I seeded. Figures.

The lettuces are sprouting, nothing else in the bed yet. I've bought snow peas and regular ones, will plant them tomorrow. I'm going to try them in pots. Can you grow peas in pots? Can I?

Spent 2 hours with the lawn mower, the pruners, and my chainsaw brush-hogging, clearing all the way around the Nannyberry viburnum. Not much more than that - the scrub is thick. But I like the way it looks now. The viburnum has a lot of dead branches - once it leafs out I'll spend some time doing some selective pruning and try to bring this old bush back to glory.

Tomorrow I must remember SUNSCREEN.

May 1, 2007

The Lilies of the Valley aren't dead! I found them today! Hurray!

April 30, 2007

Mid 50s, overcast. It threatened rain all day, but we got maybe 10 drops. No rain in the forecast for the rest of the week. Figures.

I overseeded the raked out topsoil today. Saturday, following the critter that we scared out from the trees, I noticed that the trout lilies are up. No flowers yet, but I love to see them. I wish we had trilliums, maybe I'll try to find some, though I understand they are notoriously difficult to transplant.

The rhubarb is up, about 3 inches. Should be ready to pick just in time to miss the strawberries. ;o) The new hostas are all coming up fabulously, and some signs of life from the astilbe as well. I see shoots from the old plants in the front bed, but nothing yet from the old hostas.

The dandelions have taken over the foundation border. Simon would like to have pumpkins again this year. Maybe some melons too. Last year's watermelons were a resounding failure. They grew, but they were awful. Maybe cucumbers instead. How can you mess up cucumbers?

April 28, 2007

Overcast, threatening rain. Forecast high of mid 50s. There are signs of life from everything in the corner bed - Jacob's ladder, Lady's Mantle - it's all there. That mystery shrub is very likely the Spirea. It isn't where it used to be, and the shoots are coming up looking familiar.

Buds in the Seven Sisters rose, new shoots from the base of the Clematis. No sign yet of Lily of the Vally. I'm cursed.

5:30 pm - it's drizzling. Raked out the dirt pile, needs to be overseeded. Filled the depression up by the road (though it will need more), and the tire indents along the driveway and lane.

First sowing: Buttercrunch (head) lettuce, Salad Bowl (leaf) lettuce, Bloomsdale spinach, Danvers 126 carrots.

Weeded the strawberries.

April 27, 2007

Overcast, high 50s. If it rained last night, it wasn't much. It didn't rain much today either, so I'll have to water those hostas and astilbes.

Tomorrow I must check to see if there's any sign of the Lily of the Valley. While it's disparaged as invasive and weedy in most gardens, I have successfully killed it every time I have planted it.

April 26, 2007

Cloudy, 65º This is spring. Went to Agway, picked up new gloves, spinach, 3 lettuces and some Danvers carrots. details when I plant them.

We played with the chicks and ducklings for 1/2 hour - I really wish we could get some poultry but the feed attracts rats and the birds attact predators. Better to just, sigh, buy my eggs and pick bugs by hand.

I got the Astilbe and hostas into the nursery bed before tonight's forecast rain. Give 'em a kick start. (reference: Rhythm & Blues astilbes are on the right side of the bad.)

April 25, 2007

The weather's turned cooler again. yesterday was only 55, today barely hit 60, but I am SO not complaining.

Everyone's daffs are blooming but mine, but MINE will be blooming for mother's day when everyone else's are done.

Strawberries are getting going, new crowns under the mulch. I need to pull out some dandilions before they get too well rooted.

Tomorrow or Friday I plan to go to Agway to get this show on the road for real. Can't wait.

April 23, 2007

83º today, breezy. weather moving n over night.

I did not get the cold frame planted as I'd hoped, nor the new plants into the nursery bed. Yesterday I felt like I'd been hit by a truck (day 3 post surgery is notorious, it seems.)

Little will get done tomorrow though I should try to at least get the new plants in to strat growing. There's cooler temps the rest of the week, occasional rain forecast - perfect baby plant weather.

Didn't make it to Agway, so I have no seeds, no topsoil. The greens will have to wait.

April 21, 2007

Another winner! 75º slight breeze, sunshine. Glorious!

Went for a walk in the woods, the creeks are still just creeks, no sign of the beavers except the abandoned lodges. Lots of property markers - yellow denotes 30 Main (and so, our shared property line. Handy)

Plenty of action in the front bed. Everything's coming up stonecrop and daylilies! I'll need to pull lots of the sedum out, but for now it can stay. Good groundcover, but I don't want to regret it.
This plant is a mystery. Did I move the spirea last fall like I intended? I truly don't remember. I guess we'll find out soon enough.

April 20, 2007

Blue sky, gentle breeze. It feels like this time's for real. 74º Hard to believe we had 4 inches of snow on Sunday!

Columbine (all three songbird varieties) are showing new growth
no sign of the hostas
Daylilies are coming up fast.

Bought new Hostas (12 - 3 each of Sum and Substance, Francis Williams, Patriot, and Wide Brim) and Astilbe (10 - 5 each of Rock and Roll, and Rhythm and Blues) today at Costco. I can't imagine there is room for another thing now in the tree bed parallel to the driveway. It's mostly shade, so the Astilbe and Hostas do well.

April 19, 2007

53º blue sky, 0 precip.
The last of the snow is GONE!

Daffodil, iris, tulip, grape hyacinth, peony all sprouting
Stone crop taking over everything
Buds in the vulgaris lilac, few on Miss Canada. Shrub roses have lots of rabbit damage, but all have sprouts. Highbush cranberry and flowering almond have loads of buds.

glass is on the coldframe, will start lettuce, spinach this weekend.

Saturday is open house at Agway. need potting soil, moodoo, seeds.